A passion for well-baked bread and pastries is rising across the state. Four outstanding bakeries are the Blue Moon in Asheville, Big Sky Bakery in Charlotte, Wildflour Bakery in Saluda, and the Winkler Bakery in Old Salem.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort preserves and displays the state's maritime history. The museum is currently expanding to a 36-acre tract on nearby Town Creek to accommodate the nearly 200,000 annual visitors.

Thalian Hall in Wilmington is often called the city's crown jewel. Built in 1855, it is the last surviving theater of 19th-century American theater architect John Montague. The theater is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chapel Hill muralist Michael Brown paints his scenes on the largest of canvases - the Triangle's buildings, including Raleigh's City Market and the side of Chapel Hill Cleaners on West Franklin Street.

Fair Bluff, in Columbus County, is a town with a sense of history. In 1992, the Greater Fair Bluff Historical Society won the Albert R. Newsome Award for its community museum. Only historical societies with outstanding programs receive this award.